


Sutures

by heyHEYOhSorry



Series: ColdWestAllen Week '18 [2]
Category: The Flash (TV 2014)
Genre: ColdWestAllen Week 2018, Doctor Iris, F/M, I don't even remember what day this was supposed to be for., M/M, but better late than never, since this is late late late
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-07-05
Updated: 2018-07-05
Packaged: 2019-06-05 17:28:37
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,631
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15175733
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/heyHEYOhSorry/pseuds/heyHEYOhSorry
Summary: If Iris had known that the man she was sewing up was her ex-boyfriend’s boyfriend she might have left him to bleed out.





	Sutures

**Author's Note:**

> For the ColdWestAllen week. Super late, but I still wanted to post it to the collection. I think the day was Doctors or something

 

If Iris had known that the man she was sewing up was her ex-boyfriend’s boyfriend she might have left him to bleed out. Screw the Hippocratic oath. Lucky for him, she’s already tended to the more serious aspects of his wound to his thigh when she looks up and sees Leonard Snart running into the ER, out of breath, straight to an ER nurse where he could find his boyfriend Barry Allen, the woman directs him straight towards her.

And Iris was so close to ending her 10 hour shift on a high note.

That’s part of what adds to the horror of seeing her ex-boyfriend after two-years. Iris had been unabashedly and unprofessionally flirting with his boyfriend. It wasn’t something that she usually did with her patients, but Barry Allen had been so goddamn cute with his scuffed Converse sneakers, messy bed hair, and the incredibly dumb story of accidentally shooting himself in the leg.

Plus, Iris hadn’t gone on a date in weeks, and hadn’t had sex in months, _Mama was ready to pounce._ Dr. Park had made incredibly juvenile motions with her fingers, while mouthing to her “NO RING”, so Iris decided to let lose a little bit. She thought “What could go wrong?” _oh the irony_.

“Len, please. It’s just a scratch,” Barry said, as Leonard frantically checked over Barry’s body with his eyes and hands.

“You texted me it was critical,” Len stammered.

“It would have been if I hadn’t met Dr. West. You’re an amazing doctor,” Barry spoke, smiling up at Iris from his seat on the bed.

It was only then that Leonard seemed to notice the other person in the room, and the shock and disbelief was evident on his face as he looked up at Iris.

“Ris’?” Leonard said, in the same silky voice Iris remembered.

 “I--,” Iris spoke, looking away from Leonard’s grey eyes.

It was too much. Leonard feet away from her and using that nickname brought back memories and emotions that Iris had worked so hard to stow away.

“Technically only family members can be in here, but I’ll go grab gauze.”  Iris blabbered, already backing out the room. “Should take two or three minutes, think you can be gone by then?” Iris said, and then she turned on her heel, and rushed out the room without an answer.

 

_Fuck._

Over the course of the past two years, Iris had imagined the ways she would react if she ever saw Leonard Snart again. She pictured running into him at Jitters and pouring a coffee on him. She thought about being a witness in one of his heist and gladly testifying against him. And sometimes, she had nightmares about him coming into her ER, bullet ridden, and her frantically trying to save his life that he’d risked over a bag of jewels. But most of the time, in her scenarios, Iris would greet Leonard with anger. She would yell at him, or push him, or do something to express all of the hurt she felt when he walked away.

Now she didn’t even get to be bitter. That emotion had gone away as she saw the pain on Len’s face while he fretted over Barry. It reminded Iris of the caring man Len _could_ be, the man, who against all better judgement, Iris had fallen in love with.

From the nurses station, Iris watched as Len embraced Barry, tenderly stroking his face, kissing his cheeks. To think that Iris had was just attempting to date again, while Leonard had already fallen back in love.

Iris turned away from the room. She didn’t need to put herself through the torture of seeing Leonard happy with someone else. She was going to give them a couple more minutes, march back, act like the Columbia educated doctor she was and do her job.

She’d stitch up Barry, allow Len to walk out of her life again, and then and only then, would she allow herself some pity cries and a tub of ice cream at the end of the day (and maybe also a dozen donuts).

 

After making a stop at the water cooler, the physician work area, and a huge loop around the floor, Iris made her back to the room and found Barry Allen alone on the bed. His long lanky legs kicked up, reclined on the bed.

“Hi.” Barry said, a smile on his face as she walked into the room.

Even knowing he was Len’s boyfriend didn’t diminish how cute Iris found him. “Hi.”

“Are you okay?” Barry asked.

 “Aren’t I supposed to ask you that?” Iris laughed, but Barry tilted his head waiting for a real answer. “I’m okay.” Iris said.

“I, umm, know the situation is weird, but hopefully we can go back to before. We were getting along right?” Barry said shyly, glancing up at Iris from his incredibly long lashes.

Iris joked, “You mean, when you were bleeding on the floor?”

Barry chuckled, “It’s still the best experience I’ve had in a hospital.” And Iris could take his words as a friendly comment, but then he places his hand on top of hers, and well, this isn’t an appropriate doctor-patient relation.

“Barry,” Iris began trying to stop the next words out of his mouth.

But he kept on, the words coming out all at once,

“You’re kind and funny, and you made me feel safe, and obviously you’re beautiful everyone can see that, but you’re also incredible smart, you’re a hero! A real hero without meta powers, and I, and I-” Barry paused, his big hazel eyes looked at her earnestly.

“I’ve only known you for a few minutes, but I fully understand why Len is still in love with you” Barry continued, finishing with a short deprecating laugh.

The sight tugged at Iris’s heartstrings, not allowing her to process his words, just filled with an overwhelming need to comfort him.

“Barry, Leonard loves you. I saw it.” Iris said, sitting down beside him on the bed. She isn’t lying. Even though they ended poorly, Iris had never forgotten the look of Leonard in love.

“I think he does, but I know he loves you. And you know Len, he’d rather suffer then admit to what he wants.” Barry said.

“So what do you suggest?” Iris asked, shooting straight. She didn’t understand what Barry was getting at, but it didn’t seem like Barry was giving her a shovel talk. Iris unfortunately had experience with jealous lovers, like Becky Cooper who hated Iris for going to prom with Scott Evans or Tony Woodward who hated her for not being with him.

Iris watched as Barry took a deep breath steeling his nerves.

“What if,” and for the first time in their strange conversation Barry blushed, “Leonard could date us both, or maybe, perhaps we could all date.”

And just like that the conversation is pulled in a completely different direction from what Iris was thinking

“Excuse, me.” Iris sputtered.

“I know it might be a tad unconventional-“ Barry started.

“-a little?”

“-but I think this could work-”

“why would you think-“

“-be something great.” Barry concluded, with a happy note

“Barry, I don’t know you, and you don’t know me.” Iris said, completely bewildered by what Barry was saying.

“That would be the whole point of dating. We get dinner. I share an embarrassing story about me then you can tell me something equally embarrassing, and in the process we get to know each other.” Barry said, excitedly.

“Barry…” Iris started, and just from her tone alone she watched Barry deflate.

“Is it me? Are you not attracted to me?” Barry asked.

“No!” Iris answered, a second too quick. She blushed, “That’s—not, I do find you—it’s not you.”

 

And it really isn’t. Barry is cute, and sweet, and tall, and it’s easy imagine him and her together considering she originally wanted to jump his bones. Strangely it wasn’t so much the prospect of being in a group relationship. She had practically been in one with her ex-roommate Cindy and her boyfriend Cisco. It was the thought of being with Leonard again. What made Iris believe Barry’s comment about Leonard loving her was because in the depths of her soul, she knew would always love him. And just thinking about being able to kiss and touch him again set her heart a flame. But that was never their issue. They excelled at sex. They excelled at conversations about movies, food, art, literature or history. It was conversations about their future where they faltered. Conversations and not-had conversations about their diverging career paths; the fact Iris wanted to dedicate her life to healing people, and Leonard wanted to throw his away stealing.

“Listen, Barry. You’re very sweet. But there are reasons why Len and I broke up.”

“He’s changed, Iris. Let him give you the chance to explain.”

Iris doesn’t know this man, and she shouldn’t just take his word for this. But he has the most adorable hazel eyes, and the cutest pout, and _if_ there was a chance to work thing out with Len, how could she not at least try.

“Fine. Tomorrow at 9. Len will know where.”

“Thank you, Iris.” Barry said, rising and placing a small peck on her cheek (that totally _did not_  make her blush like a little school girl).

“Hold it mister, you can’t leave. I still have to close that wound.” Iris said,

Barry effortlessly, rolled up his pant’s leg, showing perfectly flawless skin, “What wound?”

And as Iris watched Barry walk away, no limp, no blood, she couldn’t help but feel giddy about what she’d gotten herself into and intrigued by this self-healing stranger. What an unsuspecting way to end her shift on a high note.

 

 


End file.
